Many of you may have seen the recent publicity surrounding tuition fees from 2017/18.

The University of Kent intends to increase its regulated full-time tuition fees for all Home and EU undergraduates starting in September 2017 from £9,000 to £9,250.

For continuing students, Kent is currently considering whether to increase its regulated full-time tuition fees for all returning Home and EU undergraduates from £9,000 to £9,250 in September 2017.

There is a FAQ page for Kent fees, which will be updated as decisions are made and more information is available.

You can also find out more on the Finance blog.

We are looking for volunteers to join us on Saturday 27 and Sunday 28 August at Gulbenkian for an amazing weekend of the very best in theatre, dance, music, films and fun for all the family.

You will gain extraordinary insight into the running of a venue/event. We are committed to helping you develop your skills and your confidence concerning the task of your choice. You will have the opportunity to meet others with a shared passion and we will value your commitment by rewarding you with complimentary tickets to selected shows and films.

To find out more about the festival, visit the bOing! webpages.
You can also see a trailer for bOing! on YouTube.
For more information on volunteering, email r.m.brown@kent.ac.uk

A student on the University’s BA (Hons) Fashion course, a School of Music and Fine Art franchised course delivered at the Tonbridge campus of West Kent College, has won a top national design prize.

Cripa Yangkhrung won the Hainsworth Statement Award, worth £1,000, at the prestigious New Designers expo in London with her handmade fashion collection inspired by nature and its elements, Earthen Solidity, chosen from amongst the thousands on show.

Cripa said: ‘I never dreamed I’d be selected – and am beyond happy and honoured. I’ve always worked really hard and now feel this has paid off. I hope the fact they picked me offers inspiration to subsequent students.’

The award is for the most creative and innovative used of a cloth or fabric in a finished product, demonstrating a flair for fresh new ideas. In addition to the prize, the winner is invited to visit the prestigious Hainsworth Mill, whose cloth is used for the ceremonial uniforms worn by the Royal Family during state occasions and the military uniforms worn during the Charge of the Light Brigade.

The judges cited imagination, innovation, versatility, and good use of fabrics as reasons for selection, saying: ‘Cripa’s work shows excellent vision and concept, complimented with exceptional attention to detail and craftsmanship, resulting in a capsule collection that speaks of a longevity within the fashion industry and a bright and exciting future.’

Her collection consists of androgynous garments created by free-form pattern-cutting. Using locally-sourced wool fabrics with buttons she made out of wood, the collection promotes and supports a sustainable fashion industry.

SMFA Lecturer and Partner College Liaison Officer Tim Meacham said: ‘This is a huge achievement and a testament to the students, and the quality of teaching staff.’

The first Arts Fundraising Camp in Medway at The Historic Dockyard Chatham took place on 14 July.

Organised by Fundraising UK Ltd and hosted by the University’s School of Music & Fine Art, this event for arts fundraisers was a fantastic opportunity for local and regional arts professionals and fundraisers to learn, share good practice and network.

The sun was shining at the atmospheric location, with attendees travelling from across Kent and London from a diverse range of organisations and fundraising professionals.

Howard Lake, organiser and director for Fundraising UK commented: ‘It was a pleasure to see so much fundraising experience being shared amongst arts and culture fundraisers at Fundraising Camp at the University of Kent in Medway. And to see so many new contacts being made. Informal and practical events like this do seem to be an effective and enjoyable way of spreading fundraising ideas, especially if you’re a sole fundraiser or about to embark on a major fundraising campaign.’

Images from the day are available on Flickr. Further information is available on the fundraising.co.uk webpages.

Treat yourself today! Use your KentOne Card (University ID) to benefit from a 5% discount at the till at our catering outlets on both the Canterbury and Medway Campuses.

You can use it as a cashless purchasing card for a quick, easy and safe way to buy food and drink from our award-winning catering outlets. For a list of places you can use your card, information on discounts and information on how to top-up, visit KentOne Card.

Last week we hosted athletes competing in the Students International Athletics Board, Track and Field Championship 2016. We received high praise for commercial services involvement in ensuring the event was a great success.

During the weekend, we had over 300 athletes and VIPs staying on campus, to enable athletes from England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales to compete in this prestigious event.

Ken Burkett, Event organiser said the following in a thank you letter to the University:

Natalie and Alex at Kent Sport, ‘the best thing about you is your willingness to do whatever is necessary, no job is too much or refused. Your commitment to support our events is huge and I will state that without your support throughout this process we would not have been able to achieve the quality of event and championships that we ended up with. Thank you to you both.’

Kevin and Briony at University of Kent, Conferences and events, ‘your support and ideas that you brought to the event were superb. The BBQ proved to be a real hit and I thank you for looking after us so well over the weekend and in the planning stages of the event.’
To find out more about the conferences and events facilities available at the University please visit: www.kent.ac.uk/conferences

Dr William Rowlandson, Senior Lecturer in the Department of Modern Languages will be presenting again this year at the annual summer conference at the La Fundación Archivo de Indianos in Colombres, near Santander, Spain on Friday 22 July 2016.

La Fundación Archivo de Indianos [The Foundation Indiano Archive] is housed at the Museum of Emigration. The principal objective of the Indiano Archive is the progressive accumulation of information and development of a museum about the phenomenon of Spanish emigration to South America.

William’s talk is entitled ‘Borges y el misticismo’ [‘Borge and mysticism’]. Argentine poet, essayist and short story writer Jorge Luis Borges dedicated his life to exploring what he called ‘the interstices of unreason’ in the fabric of reality. He alluded frequently to the two mystical experiences that he had in his life, and yet he was insistent that he was no mystic. He made forthright claims about mystics and non-mystics, stating, for example, that Plotinus, Silesius, Swedenborg, Blake and his friend Xul Solar were all místicos, whilst Pascal, Teresa de Ávila, Juan de la Cruz and Luis de León were not. Upon what basis did he make those claims? In this presentation William concentrates on the presence of diverse mystical literature in Borges, paying particular attention to the influence of Emanuel Swedenborg. This leads to a consideration of certain texts of Borges that illustrate the strange interrelationship between author, narrator, character and reader in ways that blur the divisions between fiction and non-fiction, fantasy and reality.

Further details about the Indiano Archive can be found at: www.archivodeindianos.es/

School of Art’s Programme Coordinator and Kent Alumni, Emma Bowles, is running, walking and swimming a mammoth 511km, through a series of organised events, in aid of Bloodwise UK and in memory of her late mother who passed away in 2009.

Within just 12 months into her colossal challenge Emma covered an incredible 300 km partaking in events including the LDWA White Cliff’s Challenge, the London Supernova Run, Market Drayton 10km and many many Parkruns. Emma now has until the end of 2016 to complete her last 211km, which will include participating in Run or Dye, Race for Life 10km, Port Lympne Challenge, the Ashford ½ Marathon and many more Parkruns.

So far Emma has raised an incredible £1,000 for Bloodwise, the UK’s Blood Cancer charity, which will help fund the charities life-changing research and support those currently fighting blood cancers.

If you would like to sponsor Emma on her final stretch, you can do so via her Just Giving page at https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/Emma-BowlesJoans511